Skin tensioning accessory for dry shavers



Dec. 13, 1955 R. v. MILLER SKIN TENSIONING ACCESSORY FOR DRY SHAVERS IS Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 15, 1949 MINVEIXTOR.

Dec. 13, 1955 Filed Jan. 15, 1949 R. v. MILLER 2,726,442

SKIN TENSIONING ACCESSORY FOR DRY SHAVERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. l5

INVENTOR:

Dec. 13, 1955 R. v. MILLER 2,726,442

SKIN TENSIONING ACCESSORY FOR DRY SHAVERS Filed Jan. 15, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 In FIG. 3 a

United States Patent SKIN TENSIONINGACCESSORY FOR DRY HAVERS Raymond V. Miller, New York, N. Y.

ApplicationJanuary 15., 1949,, Serial No. 71,121

Claims. -(CI. 30-34) This invention relates to the combination with an electric shaver head of means for adjustably tensioning the skin, while permitting up and down and side to side oscillatory movement of the shaver, so-that-better cutting of the beard close to the skin-results. The skin tensioning feature is also'applicable to a massaging head.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 701,772, filed Qctober 7, 1946, now abandoned.

The invention will be more-fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is an end elevation, enlarged, of the skin tensioning mechanism. Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are partial side elevations showing four successive positions of one of the skin gripping elements; in these four figures the springs 7 and 8 are indicated diagrammatically. Fig. 8 is' an enlarged cross section on the line 8-8 ofFig. 3. .Fig. 9 is an enlarged cross section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 3. Fig. 10 is a detail showing mounting of spring 7. Fig. 11 is a detail showing mounting .of spring8. Fig. 12 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 10. Fig. 13 is a cross section taken on the line 13*13 ofFig, 12 showing an enlarged detail ,of a release to permit folding back the skin gripping elements. Fig. 14 is a plan view showing a modifieddetail of a skin contacting element,

Referring now to the form of the device shown in Figs. 1 to 13, 19 indicates.;diagramma.tically an electric shaver, massaging tool or similar tool, secured to a rectangular ring 18 arranged to slide in channels 20 within ring 17, which in turn is .slidable, in adirection at right angles to the first sliding motion, in channels21 within rails 16, connected by rails .15 .to forma-frame. The body of shaver 19 is secured to..the .top and bottom portions of rectangular ring 18 by anyof the wel'lknown means for making this type of fastening, The rails project sufficiently to provide supports for axles 13 passing through holes therein. Each ax-le has at each of its ends an oscillating arm 12, the two arms 12 of each axle being connected at their ends remote from the axle by a shaft 11. Each shaft 11 has an arm 6, provided with a lug 5, adapted to be engaged by a rod 3, joining two levers 2, pivoted on pins 4 in the ring 18. The ends of the levers 2 remote from their ends joined by the rod 3 are connected by a finger grip 1, shaped to be conveniently operated by the first finger of the hand of the user that grasps the shaver body.

A slot 14 in each of one pair of arms 12 is provided to avoid interference with the axle 13 for the other pair of arms 12. Each shaft has an arm 9, with a skin engaging portion 10, of the shape shown, and suitably formed, as by having teeth as shown, or roughening, so as not to slip on the skin, the line of which is diagrammatically indicated in the drawings by the line XX. A spring 8 is placed between parts 12 and 15, as indicated in Fig. 11, the tension being only so much as to keep the free end of the oscillating arm 12 in the position farthest from the ice face when thereis no opposing pressurefrom rod.3 toward the face. -(The manner in which spring ,8 functionsis indicateddiagrammatically in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7. The horizontal projection 15 shown by dash lines .in these figures is merely amanner of diagramming the action of spring 8 with respect to rails 15. is to constantly urge arm 12 to movein a clockwise direction about axle 13, as far as the ,positionof rod 3 will permit. The actual shape of spring 8, and its::actual' bearing against parts 12 and 15 are shown :in Fig. 11', above mentioned.) Another spring 7, of greater tension than the spring 8, is provided between parts 9 and.12,. as shown in Fig. 10. One end ofthe spring 7 isfastened to a nut 26 (Figs. 10 and 12) movable bya screw 27'bearing in a shoe 25 riding on the arm 6 to adjust the tension .of the spring 7. (The manner in which the spring 7 functions is indicated diagrammatically in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7'.) Each-of the springs '7 and 8is formed of a coil surround ing the pivot, with the ends of the spring projecting out and bearing against the respective parts as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. A stop 48 on lever 2 bears against the edge of ring 18, as shownin Fig. 1, to limit the position of-rod 3farthest from the face of the user.

The operation-of the construction-just set forth will now be described. The shaver body, secured to ring 18, is grasped by the hand of the user, and the shaver head is pressed against-hisface. The normal positionof theskin gripping elements is away from and out of contact with the face, as shown in Fig. 4 and also in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 2 (full lines). Upon pressing finger grip 1 toward the shaver body pressure is communicated through the lever 2, rod 3 and lugs 5 to the arms 6, this pressure being indicated in Figs. 5 to 7 by an arrow. Sufficient pressure advances the skin gripping element 10 toward the skin, to make contact therewith, asshown in Fig. 5 and by the dash lines in Fig. 2. .It will be noted that line XX represents the line of the-skin, and that after element 10 has made firm contact with the users skin the element cannot move any farther to the left because the flesh and bone structure of the users face prevents such further movement; The movementof element 10 thereafter will be upward along line XX. Further'pressuremoves-the skin gripping element 10 shown in Fig. 6 upward along the .plane of the skin, thereby stretching theskin. As the clockwise movement of arms 6 and 9 continues, under pressure from rod 3, arm 12 (in Figs. -6 and 7) can-move only. to the right, because axle 13 remains fixed in its relation .to line XX. Still further pressure moves the skin gripping element 10 farther, as shown in Fig. 7, stretching the skin still more. While the skin is held stationary with respect to the supporting frame, the shaver body and headare free to oscillate up and down and from side'toside in any desiredorbit, providing for satisfactory cutting of the beard. Elements 10 release their grip on the skin as soon as finger grip 1 is released. A new grip can be immediately taken, whenever desired, by again pressing finger grip 1. The adjustment of spring 7 assures that the predetermined maximum tension cannot be exceeded, because slipping begins to occur as the predetermined tension is exceeded. By reason of the construction including the shoe 25 (Figs. 10, 12 and 13) a release is provided to permit folding back the skin gripping elements so as to be entirely out of the way when desired.

The unique interaction of springs 7 and 8 causes the skin-contacting element to operate over and between the bones of the face with a uniformity of pressure and an eificiency in controlled tautness not found in previous devices. With this construction the skin-tensioning element is free to follow the changing contours of the face independently of the position of the shaver head. This construction produces a constant pressure against the This actionof spring 8' changing contours of the face by the skin-tensioning element (and hence a constant tension), while at the same time permitting the pressure of the shaver head against the face to be independently varied, as desired. This result is in sharp distinction to existing devices having skin-tensioning contact surfaces supported in such a manner that their pressure against the users face must vary directly as the pressure of the shaver head against the users face. This feature of applicants device is an important and vital element in producing successful results in dry shaver operation upon the users skin, while at the same time safeguarding the skin against dangerous excess pressure from the shaver head. Such excess pressure is unavoidable with existing devices (if close shaving is to be achieved) because they provide no structure to compensate for the irregularities of every mans facial contours. The fact that the skin-contacting portion of a tensioning element can never be on exactly the same facial contour as is the skin-contacting portion of the shaver head, makes an effective flexible connection between the shaver head and the skin-contacting element all the more necessary to the maintenance of uniform tensioning that is at the same time safe tensioning.

Fig. 14 shows an alternative form of skin gripping element that can be substituted for the rigid type 10 shown in the forms already described. The cylindrical shaped element 41 comprises a grooved roller that grips the skin and rolls over the face against a friction bearing as the shaver is moved over the face. Friction disks 42 inserted between the ends of the roller and springs 43 tend to make the element 41 refuse to rotate, while at the same time the element does not slip on the skin because of its deep grooves and the pressure with which it is pressed against the face. Grooves 44 grip the skin. Axle 45 supports the roller 41. Springs 43, which are fastened to the cross member connecting the pair of arms 12 are urged together by the tighteness of adjusting nut 46 on bolt 47, thereby causing friction disks 42 to hinder the free rotation of the skin-gripping element 41.

In operation, the above described combined action provided by this construction causes the hard-to-rotate roller to stretch the skin in advance of the shaver head as the assembly is moved over the face.

I claim:

1. In a shaving device having a body provided with beard cutting members movable in a stroke plane, a support secured to said body, a skin-tensioning element having skin-engaging portions, means mounting said element on said support for movement substantially perpendicular to said stroke plane adjacent to said beard cutting members, a spring acting between said support and said skintensioning element normally urging the skin-engaging portions of said element in a direction away from said stroke plane and thereby normally disengaging said skinengaging portions from contact with the skin of the user during the shaving operation, and finger operated means mounted on said support and engageable with said element to urge said skin-engaging portions of said skin-tensioning element, against the urging of said spring, to a position substantially beyond said stroke plane where the skinengaging portions of said skin-tensioning element will engage the skin of the user of said shaving device before said stroke plane meets the skin of the user as said shaving device is pressed towards the skin of the user for the shaving operation.

2. The structure of claim 1, in which the mounting means includes a frame having one side thereof pivotally connected to one side of said support and its opposite side pivotally connected to said skin-tensioning element.

3. The structure of claim 1, in which the mounting means is provided with means enabling the pressure of said skin-engaging portions of said skin-tensioning element against said skin to be varied independently of the pressure or said beard cutting members against said skin.

4. The structure of claim 1, in which said body has a longitudinal axis, and said support includes a ring secured to said body perpendicular to said axis, said ring being slidable when actuated by the hand of the user holding said body in a direction perpendicular to said axis in channels and to which said mounting means is pivotally connected, with respect to said skin-engaging portion in a plane perpendicular to said axis, whereby when the skin-engaging portion is holding the skin of the users face in a tensioned condition the beard cutting means may be moved back and forth by the hand of the user with respect to said skin-engaging portion in order to cut the hairs.

5. The structure of claim 4, in which said support includes means permitting movement of said body in a direction perpendicular to said axis by the hand of the user with respect to said skin-tensioning element including a first frame fastened to said body, a second frame having channels in which the first frame is slidably mounted, whereby said first frame may oscillate from side to side within said second frame, and a third frame surrounding said second frame, said third frame having channels within which said second frame is slidably mounted for oscillatory movement up and down with respect to said third frame, thereby enabling said body to be oscillated by the hand of the user, in relation to said skin-engaging portion of said skin-tensioning element, within a plane perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,346,724 Roger July 13, 1920 2,119,248 Segal May 31, 1938 2,170,215 Rand Aug. 22, 1939 2,275,810 Weiland Mar. 10, 1942 2,329,891 Gantner Sept. 21, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 523,492 Great Britain July 16, 1940 

